Survive in Wonderland
by hellantroy5567
Summary: This is a twisted version of Alice in wonderland set after Alice comes. Yes, this is going to be a bit violent with minor (very minor) suggestive themes, so if you don't mind a little gore and blood then read you're head off. Reviews appreciated. May be a little on the edge of M but just for violence wise, YOU HATH BEEN WARNED.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Rabbit in a WaistCoat.**

Connor stood in his neat suit and tie. Church service was nearly over and it bored him, horribly. His mother took his hand and walked him out of the church, though he was perfectly capable of walking alone. He was, after all, fourteen and going into highschool.

When they finally broke out of the miserable church and into the sunlight Connor finally released his breath, about time.

"Connor, I need to finish up some things inside, would you wait by the car please?" His mother said, giving him the puppydog eyes she always did. Her gentle demeanor and beautiful features hid a manipulative fox.

"Yes mother." Connor sighed, watching his mother retreat in her light blue dress back into the room.

Connor's eyes slid around the empty parking lot boredly. What on Earth was his mother doing in there? Wait, scratch that, he'd rather not know. He raked shaggy blonde hair away from chocolate eyes and immediately saw a hazy figure in the distance. He squinted after the figure, unable to make it out.

He felt it beckoning. And, unconsciously, he followed it. When he finally saw the figure he couldn't decide out if it was a boy or a girl. Based on the facial features he decided it was a boy, with bunny ears and a tail in a bright blue waist coat. When the bunny-thing saw him it let out a small yelp and darted into the trees that surrounded the church.

"Hey! Wait! Hold on!"

"No time to wait, no time to wait, gotta go gotta go going to be late!" He heard it chanting quietly.

"Wait up! Late for what?!" Connor yelled after it, following it as quickly as he could but he still couldn't keep up with the swift rabbit.

Finally the rabbit stopped, Connor caught up to it completely out of breath. He looked at the rabbit but it suddenly wasn't there.

"Curiosity," a soothing voice purred in his ear, "killed the cat…"

Suddenly he was falling, a feeling of pure cold lingering behind.

Dark flowers were what greeted Conner as he awoke on the ground of some forest. Each flower towered over him and each seemed like it was focussed intently on him. He flinched away as one flower, a daisy, opened eyes and looked at him.

"Curious little beastie isn't he."

A rose opened eyes this time and stared at him with a cold emotionless glare, "quite ugly isn't it."

A little flower, a small tulip and by the comparison to the others it was a baby, "I think it's kind of cute."

"Would all of you stop scaring him!" A commanding voice said over the crowd and another rose, a bright red one, rose above the others. The other flowers immediately fell silent, "we should report him. Remember what happened last time one of these beasties fell down here, the red lady ripped out her heart and swallowed it whole!"

Connor flinched at the red rose's words. Ripped out a heart and swallowed it? What creature on Earth did that? HE coughed tentatively, "Uh, hate to be rude but, uh, could you possibly _not_ send me to the, uh, 'red lady'? I kind of, well, don't want to die."

A small, slightly masculine voice breathed next to him, "they have no choice. If they don't they're roots will be ripped from the ground."

He jerked away and saw the rabbit boy crouching beside him. The rabbit looked at him with absolutely no emotion in it's black-eyed gaze.

"Who is this, 'red lady' anyways?" He asked quietly, moving slowly away from the rabbit.

"She is the queen of here."

"Where is here?"

"Here is here, here is everywhere. We are here, we are everywhere."

"Say what?"

The rabbit rolled his eyes, " we are here, here is here."

Connor massaged his temples, "that still makes no sense."

"Well, maybe if you go to the red lady willingly she won't kill you. That might explain a few things."

"Alright, how do I get there." Connor said, glancing up at the huge flowers looming over him like omens of a horrid fate.

"Through the dark wood, I can take you to the border but theres its up to the CHeshire. If she'll help you."

"Why wouldn't she?"

"She's kind of… mean to say the least." The rabbit said, "come on this way."

He followed the rabbit, thankful to be leaving the giant flower patch behind. When he glanced back the patch was gone, concealed in a thick wall of fog.

"So, uh what's this 'Cheshire' like?" Connor said after hours of walking. He was trying to strike up a conversation.

"She's the only one who matches the red lady in strength. That's why her forest borders the red lady's castle."

"Is she pretty?"

The rabbit rolled its eyes at the pure annoyance this human boy was. He thought like all others, on the term of outside looks. Not inner.

"Some say so, though most don't live to tell the tale. Here, the dart forest."

The rabbit stopped and the fog cleared showing tall dark trees with blackish leaves and dark green brambles in the shadows beneath the trees.

"Uh, changed my mind, don't want to go in there." Connor said, turning to face the rabbit. Or, well, where the rabbit had been. It was now gone.

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><p><strong>So this was an idea of a friend, we're sort of co-authoring this. I'd like reviews, and if you like it I'd like you to pass it on to other people. So this isn't your basic wonderland (in case you haven't figured it out) this is set AFTER Alice came, and yes it is a little gorey and kinda violent but, hey, who likes happy endings right? Kidding! So, yeah. Questions, review I'll try to clarify when I can.<strong>

**-Hellantroy**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Cheshire Cat**

"Scared, little human?" A voice purred. His head whipped around but he saw no one. Then, above him, appeared out of thin air a girl. She looked around his age with fiery brown hair and smoldering amber eyes that seemed to look into his soul. She lounged on a tree branch, holding a red lollipop and licking it with loud popping sounds. Connor then notices her ears, and her tail. Her ears were pointed and Catlike and perched atop her head and colored an odd shade of pink. Her tail, cat like, trailed down in red and purple stripes. She wore a black leather jacket and cropped red shirt and baggy black pants.

She smirked as she felt him stare at her body. She knew what effect she had on men. She took another lick of the lollipop

"Wh-who are you?" Connor said, taking a step away from the girl. In an instant she vanished and appeared behind him, reting a clawed hand on his shoulder.

"I think you were just talking about me to that little rabbit friend of yours."

"You're the Cheshire?!" Connor gaped at her. She smirked and suddenly, vanished.

An instant later Conner felt a hand run across his neck and someone (three guesses who) whispered in his ear, " So, little human. Answer your question, am I pretty?"

"Uh." Connor felt his face heat up and the hand vanished, the girl appearing in front of him with a hand on her hip and her lollipop gone.

"So, what brings a little human like yourself to my forest?" The Cheshire purred, tongue rolling over each syllable in a lazy sort of fashion.

Connor felt his heart beat speed up. The girl was within touching distance and he suddenly felt an overwhelming want to touch her tail which swayed by her feet, or her ears which twitched at every noise. The Cheshire knew what desires were entering the little man's brain and smirked.

Connor suddenly snapped back to reality and reminded himself she was a monster, and couldn't be trusted nor gentle, "I want to see the red lady."

"Oh? I suppose she'd want to see you. It's been so long since she's had a little human all to herself." The cheshire replied in a purr, she vanishes and appeared closer in front of him, holding his chin and looking over him, "though, you wouldn't make much game, or much of a meal."

Connor felt his heart beat race at her closeness. She vanished and appeared in the tree line, "Well, are you coming little boy?"

"Uh," Connor replied. He felt a bit of drool at the corner of his lips and wiped it away quickly and walked up to her, she turned without a word and walked (more like glided) deeper into the dark wood.

Connor, being the clumsy human he was, walked behind the cat and tripped over everything from roots to pebbled. Or so it seemed to Cheshire. She rolled her eyes as she heard another thud from behind her and a swift moan. He quickly scrambled to his feet again.

"So, uh, the rabbit said you're powerful. Well, if you are why do you serve the, uh, red lady? I mean, she seems abusive."

"Each of us who has power enough to rival her serves her because she has something we don't. She has control, and she can help us control the parts of ourselves which remain off limits. Take the white rabbit who guided you here. He has power beyond it, but if he attempts to use it… lets just say it uses him. Or the flowers, the red queen keeps weeds from their garden."

"You can't control yourself? I mean, you're strong. You seem like you can do anything. What on Earth could get the better of you? You even guard the red lady's home." Connor spoke the words without thinking. The moment they left his lips he regretted them. The Cheshire stopped in front of him, "I'm sorry," he said, "you don't have to an-"

"I suppose if, by some miracle, you are allowed to live with the rest of us you would need to know."

"No, if you don't want to talk about it-"

"The red lady helps me control my memories." The Cheshire spoke it softly. In an instant Connor felt thousands more questions enter his mind. He also felt like something had been bridged between them. Suddenly she seemed… fragile. She seemed like a passing breeze would break her.

What, Connor wondered, could have been so horrible in her memories that she needed help controlling it? Connor reached out to touch her shoulder but before he could the Cheshire had continued her trek through the forest. Connor's hand recoiled back to him and he clutched his wrist, wondering what had come over him to want to touch something like that? By what he had heard, she was a monster. He suddenly felt it getting harder to view her as an evil, heartless monster.

It's probably a trick, Connor told himself, to make me let my guard down. She's probably going to lure me in and kill me.

Connor walked a little ways distance behind her.

The sun was ducking behind the horizon and the forest was getting darker since its only source of light was gone.

"Uh, shouldn't we stop to make camp?" Connor asked, tripping over a root he hadn't seen.

The Cheshire turned to face him, realizing he was a sloppy human who couldn't see in the dark. She nodded. Her amber eyes sparkled

They walked to a small clearing where the Cheshire made a fire for the sake of the delicate human. She walked to a tree an vanished up in its branched.

Connor curled in a ball next to the fire, wondering why he had trouble believing the Cheshire was evil. It might have been her looks. Right, her looks.

He sighed and layed his head back on a small log. He pictured her as she had looked after telling him of what she couldn't control about herself. Her hair gliding across the tanned skin and her slight frame. Her tail swaying gently in the breeze… her beautiful face twisted in sorrow like a weeping angel… her amber eyes staring at the ground only completing the image of her perfect body, doubled over in sadness. He wanted just to reach out, to comfort her.

He shook himself. He was being stupid, he couldn't go weak because she batted her eyelashes at him. But what if she wasn't acting…. what i she really was as lonely and lost as she seemed? Who could blame him for wanting to help her.

Suddenly a large hand closed over his head, blotting out a yell.

"Lookee here a little human."

He was suddenly lifted off the ground and came face to face with an eight foot tall bear with a leathery hide and featured more human-like than bear. He immediately felt fear surge through him and he bucked and kicked.

"Oh, its a fighter…. they always taste the best… less fat more muscle."

He tried to yell out for Cheshire but he couldn't talk. He could barely breath. Suddenly he felt the bear pulling his head toward it to bit it off and then, like Connor assumed, the rest of his body. If he was going to die, let it be quick.

Suddenly he felt a jolt and he fell on his butt on the ground. The bear let out a loud bellow of pain. Cheshire dropped in front of him, landing in a crouch. Her right hand was covered in blood and bits of bone. The bear staggered back and Connor saw its hand, the one that had been holding his head, gone.

Cheshire stood, "this belongs the red lady. He is off limits. Leave in peace and you keep your life."

"The red lady hogs! She deserves not another human and neither do you! You can't stop me little girl!" The bear bellowed and charged at Cheshire.

Cheshire's amber eyes narrowed and she lowered her left foot behind her in a ready stance. The bear took two lumbering steps forward and Cheshire pushes off the ground, bringing her clawed hand in a diagonal ark that separated the bear's top half from its bottom. It fell in two pieces, blood and gore pouring out of the gaping wounds. Cheshire land in a crouch beyond it and stood, her right hand coated in a liquidy blood with things that looked like parts of the bear's intestines and bones poking out of the red ooze.

Bits of bone and gut and blood had splattered on Connor's dirty and ripped Sunday suit. Some even graced his face. Connor had to keep from gagging.

Cheshire turned, her eyes sparkling dangerously and saw how Connor was fighting to keep puke inside his throat. Purely for effect Cheshire ran her tongue through the blood and gore on her finger. Where she licked the blood vanished, showing her skin. Connor gagged.

Cheshire smiled, the look made her beautiful face turn rabid. Her features contorted and suddenly she no longer looked like a gentle angel, but a fallen one, a wild and uncontrollable angel who reveled in blood. Connor was suddenly reminded why he should not get a soft spot for this creature.

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><p><strong>Alright, to answer a question: in this I'm using the red queen instead of the queen of hearts. I'm using red to symbolize blood, in case you haven't noticed how violent the red queen is. Alright! any more questions, review. Thanks! -Hellantroy<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 The Mad Hatter **

The next day they walked for several hours before Cheshire stopped. She glanced at the sy, frowned and turned to Connor, "I am taking you to the hatter. Tonight, remain with him or you may be killed."

"Killed by what?" Connor asked, trying to keep the shaking out of his voice.

"Me."

Cheshire turned and started heading west. Connor followed in silence. Ever since the incident with the bear…. thing…. Connor hadn't spoken to her. He had been forcefully reminded she was an evil monster, though he once again was having trouble believing it.

"Um, why would you kill me?"

She stopped and looked down, "tonights my birthday… I don't… act nice on my birthday."

"Why?"

She didn't reply, just kept walking.

"I'm sorry! Wait, Cheshire I'm sorry! I pushed! I shouldn't have tried to make you tell me."

"It's alright Connor."

It was the first time she'd called him by his name. He felt his resolve vanish at the simple words and he followed her.

They came upon a clearing and immediately Connor heard laughing. Mad laughing.

"Why! If it isn't everyone's favorite Kitty cat come to play and her newest boy toy here also! How cute!" A man said laughing his head off. He wore a black tattered top hat that looked as if it had dried blood on it. He also wore a black tuxedo in much the same condition. A man who looked extremely bored and had a mouse tail and ears sat next to him on the long table littered with tea pots and tea cups and little pastries.

"Hatter, dormouse, good to see my favorite lunatics!" Cheshire returned, joining in on a chorus of raucous laughter.

"Who's the kid?" The mouse said, not even glancing at Connor. In fact, the mouse's eyes were closed. How had it seen him?

"The queen's newest prey."

"Wonderful! At least we can make your last days a blast!" The hatter yelled, he vanished and appeared next to Connor, goodnaturedly throwing an arm over his shoulder and letting out another bark of laughter before falling quiet and solemn, like he had suddenly entered a funeral home, "It's getting to be night time. Night time Night time Night time, Ravens fly in the night and in the night the night time flies. Night time… Raven and a writing desk…"

"Uh," Connor whispered to Cheshire, "Is he alright?"

"Haven't you figured it out little boy? None of us are what you would consider 'alright'."

Connor shuddered.

"Now, I best be off. Don't scare your guest too much hatter. Mousey." Cheshire said, nodding to each. Without another word she turned and vanished completely in a small puff of fog.

"You know," the hatter said, twining a finger through his black hair, "its obvious you think she isn't evil."

"But she isn't, she's just…" Connor replied.

"You need to remember, she is hundreds of years old. She isn't some gentle loving creature, she has lots of experience deceiving the minds of beings far greater than you. Did it ever occur to you, she might be letting on this because her past lives want her to kill you?"

"Past lives?"

"Ah, she didn't tell you." The hatter said thoughtfully, "she is a descendant of the original Cheshire Cat and as a result she can perfectly remember every instant of each of her past lives. Every Cheshire Cat that has been brought into existence on her birthday, today that is. And on her birthday the memories gang up on her and all shreds of humanity she has left vanish. She turns into a killing machine. Because the queen can not control her indefinitely, she made the compromise on every day but her birthday Cheshire will have complete control over herself, however on her birthday she will lose it for a total of twenty four hours."

"Oh."

"She can even imagine how her ancestors would think, feel, or want. She is not her ancestors, but she knows them like they are herself."

"That would make someone…"

"Insane." The hatter finished, "but to be honest, none of us have ever really been on the cliff side of sanity in the first place." Suddenly he started laughing.

"He's lost it." Connor murmured to himself, following the cackling hatter back to the table and taking a seat.

"So without further adieu! It's showtime!" The hatter yelled and the teapots moved. They began hovering and floated around, filling each and every glass to the brim. To Connor astonishment, and slight terror, the glasses filled quickly unfilled themselves.

Connor couldn't help but stare as the hatter's hat, his _hat,_ floated off his head and landed hovering above a chair. The hatter gulped down tea and connor then saw the color of the substance. It was a pure, untainted, bloody red. Connor gulped and tried to smile at the hatter, "Um, I think I'm fine. I just want to go to bed."

"Alright little human." The hatter said happily, motioning behind him to a cottage, "bed in there. No one will disturb you."

He stood, thanking the hatter, and walked inside the cottage. When he got inside he closed the door and bolted to throw himself onto the bed. It seemed like it had been years since he'd slept on a bed.

"Oh," a rabid voice that seemed a bit familiar purred, "pretty little human boy would make a good meal."

He turned and saw the Cheshire, her eyes glowing blood red with tiny black pupils. She cocked her head, her eyes and smile turning more insane. Her face was coated in what looked like dried blood along with her brown hair. Her nails were sharp claws that glistened in a liquidy blood. She crouched in the doorway like a cat about to pounce.

Connor felt himself freeze with fear as he saw her teeth had sharpened to fangs. She let out a purring growl and jumped down off the window cill, taking a few stalking steps towards him.

"This will be fun." He thought he heard her purr.

"Caristara Kasai Cheshire stop where you are. You go against the queen if you so much as touch that boy." A voice boomed. Connor looked up and saw the hatter standing in the doorway, a long black scythe in his hands.

"Oh, what queen?" The Cheshire purred, turning her insane and rabid gaze to the hatter's brown eyes.

"You do not belong here Caristara. You belong in the forest. Leave here if you value your life."

"Make me!" She snarled and leapt towards the hatter. He brought the staff of his scythe up to block her attack but she had so much force both of them went tumbling out of the cottage end over end.

Cheshire slid back, nails digging into the dirt as the hatter woozily stood to face her.

"Remember the last time we fought dearie?" Her voice was no longer hers, it was too insane, "wasn't it fun! Oh it was so fun."

"Caristara you belong in the forest." A new voice entered the fight. The dormouse, eyes still closed, stood to face her also and drew a pair of wickedly sharp swords.

"Don't be like that, all I want is a midnight snack." her gaze turned to Connor and something seemed to snap. She launched forward, all restraint gone and came within a hair's breath of cutting Connor's throat. He jerked back but too late, her claws cut three long slashes on his shoulder.

The hatter slammed the pole into her elbow, gaining a sickening crack from her arm, which fell limp. She turned with a raged howl and drew her other set of claws across his cheek but the hatter had already leapt back, only having a few cuts.

The dormouse darted in, quicker than Connor believed, and slashed both swords at her but the Cheshire dodged. She swept a foot at his knees and caused him to fall.

Preoccupied with the dormouse, Cheshire didn't see the hatter coming up behind her and slam the end of his scythe into her back then whip around and draw a long line of red across her stomach. She staggered back, the bloody cut dripping in bits of flesh. The hatter stood, resting the end of his scythe against his foot. The blade of his staff gleamed in moonlight with the Cheshire's crimson blood.

"Don't make me kill you Caristara. We were friends since we were children, I do not wish to have to do this but I will."

"Friends!? Friends?!" Cheshire laughed, "You think we were friends! We all know you would kill me to have the queen's favor! We all know you are filled to the brim with jealousy!"

"I do not deny that in my early years I would take any chance I got to gain favor with the Queen, but killing you wouldn't be the way to do it. Caristara, please. You are like my sister, you've shared memories with me you've never told anyone. Please."

A flicker of sanity passed through Cheshire's eyes. Her stance became slightly less threatening. The sun peeked over the horizon and Cheshire's eyes turned slightly more amber.

She howled, putting hands on her forehead and screaming in what seemed like pure agony. She turned from the clearing and fled into the forest.

"My God." Connor breathed.

"That is why you should not allow a soft spot for the Cheshire." The hatter said, turning to look at Connor. The dormouse was back on his feet and looked like the battle had done nothing to relieve his boredom.

Connor touched his shoulder, wincing as his hand came away bloody.

"Go to bed." The hatter said, not looking at him. Connor turned and walked back into the room and collapsed on the bed.

"Did I," he heard a wavering voice outside, "did I hurt anyone?"

"Caristara, don't do this to yourself. You know you aren't you in that form."

Connor stood, walking outside to bright sunlight. He relished in it.

What he saw unnerved him. Cheshire was crying. Tears streamed freely down her eyes and the hatter was awkwardly patting her shoulder. The dormouse looked troubled.

"What did you see last night?" The hatter asked, ignoring Connor.

"It." She whispered, her voice shaking with sobs, "I s-saw it. What I was when I…. When I'm…"

"Sh, it's okay, you know you have no control over yourself. Anyways, you need to finish your journey."

She nodded at him and stood. Seeing the dried blood on what was left of his clothing she winced and looked down.

"Follow me we're almost there." Without another word she started into the forest. Connor followed.

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><p><strong>Hey guys! Hellan here! So here's the next chapter, I wanted to spice it up a little. So, like usual any uqestions review them and I'll try to answer as soon as possible. -Hellantroy<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 Twins**

"Cheshire!" Connor called, raising his voice so she could hear above the several hundred yards between them, "wait up!"

She stopped and turned looking surprised at his call. She looked down, "You should have said something sooner."

"I didn't want to slow you down." He rasped in between breaths.

"We should take a break." She said, though she didn't look slightly winded or thirsty, while Connor could barely catch his breath and felt as though he had no water in his body all of it was outside.

"Do you have food?" He rasped.

Cheshire sighed and said "I'll call Duldee and Duldum to watch you while I go get some."

Cheshire let out a quiet whistle and two kids appeared, they couldn't have been older than 10. Both had brown hair, both had one red eye and one white eye, and both had the exact same features, except one had pigtails and the other's hair was falling around his face messily.

"Ches!" The girl squealed and appeared upside down in front of Cheshire, hugging her.

"Hello Duldee." Cheshire said, peeling the little girl off of herself, "Duldee, Duldum, please protect our guest here. He's a guest of the queen. I'll be back when I can.

"Alright!" The girl said and turned, "Hi human boy!"

"Duldee, don't scare the poor guy." The boy scolded, " He is just a human."

"Oh," Duldee said, "I'm sorry if I scared you."

"No you didn't! It's fine!" Conner rushed to assure her.

Cheshire has already vanished into the forest.

"So Conner," Duldum said, appearing so close in front of him Connor's eyes crossed to see the child clearly, "On a scale of 10 to 10, how pretty is Ches?"

"Um, that's not much of a- wait how did you know my name?" Connor asked stepping away and almost tripping over Duldee who looked up at him with wide eyes. The kids appeared next to each other, holding hands. Duldum wore red overalls over a striped black and white shirt, Duldee wore the same but her overalls were a dress.

"You told us." Duldee said, looking kind of hurt that he forgot he told them.

"I never sa-"

"Duldee you're getting it mixed up, he didn't tell us you read it." Duldum scolded the young girl.

"Oh," She said, eyes brightening and rosey cheeks lifting in a bright smile, "Oopsie!"

"So human boy," Duldum said, appearing floating in front of Connor's face again, "On a scale of 10 to 10 how pretty is Ches?"

"Um," Connor said, taking a step away from the floating child, "I guess, 10?"

"So she isn't pretty." Duldum said, looking disappointed.

"No! No, she's pretty-"

"Then why didn't you say she was a 10?"

"I did!" Connor said, getting defencive.

"You weren't enthusiastic about it." Duldum said, vanishing and reappearing next to his sister, who had begun messing with a leaf.

"Ugh," Connor groaned. This endeavor with the twins was giving him a migraine, on top of his dehydration headache.

"Cheshire please hurry up." Connor moaned, he had long since been turned into the twins' jungle gym. It felt like hours had passed, though it couldn't have been more than one.

"So human," Duldee said, messing with his hair, "what makes you think the red queen won't kill you?"

"I… I don't know but if its a chance to survive here… I guess I have to take the chance." Connor replied, uncomfortable with the subject of the red queen.

"She isn't kind like Ches is," Duldum said, messing with his coat pocket, "She's merciless in her control, she's strong. When you do meet her, don't insult her and don't argue with her. Those simple things might save your life."

If Cheshire was what these people considered the Oxford definition of kind, Connor really didn't want to see what they considered mean.

"Ches is too nice for her own good." Duldee said, voice quiet as she played with Connor's hair, "She's too merciful. It makes her soft, that's why she could never rule us."

"What do you mean?" Connor asked.

"She forgives too easily. There are those that take advantage of that, and for that reason she is too weak to be strong."

"She's pretty damn strong by what I've seen."

"You've seen her fight. When she fights, her other selves take her. When she isn't fighting…. well let's just say this is kindest of her lives she's had." Duldee said, idly braiding a few strands of his hair.

"How many lives has she had?" Connor asked, eager to change the subject. For some reason, the prospect of someone abusing Cheshire angered him.

"She is currently on her ninth." Duldum said.

Connor laughed. Duldum just stared at him, seemingly not noticing why anything was funny. Connor quickly stopped laughing and just looked down, somewhat embarrassed.

"What's funny?" Duldee asked.

"Nine lives, you know that legend that cats have nine lives." Connor said, giving up on explaining it almost after he started.

"It's a human legende." Duldum said to Duldee. Duldee nodded, as if that explained it all.

"Well in this case, it's true." Duldee said, "Cheshire has nine lives and then her existence vanishes, then she starts anew. Though, she won't be dying for a long time now. Cheshires live for almost three thousand years."

"Oh." Connor said, the empty forest space falling into an uncomfortable silence.

"I'm back." A quiet voice said and Connor turned to see Cheshire holding a small bucket atop her head and a bag in her hand. She took in the scene of Connor playing the part of jungle gym and giggled.

"Ches!" Duldee yelled happily and leapt up hugging Cheshire around her waist then bounded over to Duldum.

"Well, we'll be off. Good hunting Ches, and good luck human." Duldum said and the twins locked hands and vanished.

"Good bye you two." Cheshire said, waving to them as they vanished.

Cheshire lowered to a kneel and gently listed the bucket of water of her head and set it down in front of Connor, then began rifling through her sack. She pulled out fruits and nuts then brought out a rabbit, skinned gutted and ready to cook.

Connor felt himself begin to drool and launched himself at the water, ready to gulp it all down but Cheshire's hand grabbed his mouth twisted and he ended up sprawling on the ground as she made a disapproving cluck noise.

"For heaven's sake don't just guzzle it all down like a cow. You'll puke. Sips, human, sips." Cheshire said, shaking her head and beginning to arrange wood for a fire.

Connor felt sullen at her words but consented to taking sips of the water while Cheshire prepared his meal. No food had ever tasted better.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 Conference with The Queen**

The queen had many names, the Red queen, as she was most commonly known, the queen of hearts, for her infatuation with human hearts, the bloody queen, as she was known by the rebels, the ice queen, for her attitude and the pure indifference with which she took life. She sat on her throne, white hair cropped close to her head, skin pale. It wasn't an attractive pale, it was a deathly snow-white pale that made her red eyes glow like blood. The queen had been calculating her move since she had lead that little human-ling into the rabbit hole. She had ordered cheshire to assist him. She had ordered all of her close council to be kind to him, and make him comfortable. Easier to catch off guard.

She suspected the Cheshire was more than up to the task of taking the mind of such a simple being, but had never bet upon the boy having a will stronger than most of his species.

"My Lady." Said a quiet voice. The Queen's bloody eyes turned and looked passively, coldly down at the cheshire, who knelt before her throne.

"Ah, Cheshire. I expect your expedition is going well?"

"Yes my lady." The cheshire spoke with a passive voice, knowing her place and knowing how best to keep her head upon her neck.

"Good. And the human?"

"I think he has gotten quite comfortable around me, my lady." Cheshire paused and then said in a voice barely above a whisper, "may I ask what you plan to do with him?"

The queen smiled, leaning back and showing sharpened teeth. Her smile had all the kindness of Jaws and was more menacing than Cheshire had ever been. Cheshire worked hard to conceal her shudder at the reminder of what the queen truly was, and what gave her so much power and so much control.

"I will see if he would make fun game, if so i'll let him loose and hunt him. If he's too boring I'll just rip out his heart. If, however, he shows promise i might allow him to live."

Cheshire stood keeping her head bowed, "my lady, might i ask what you would consider promise?"

The queen leaned forward, entwining her fingers under her chin and smiling, "wouldn't you, my most trusted protector and adviser know?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 Paint the Roses Red**

"How much longer until we get there?" Connor asked tiredly, he felt heavy as if he couldn't keep his eyes open. Cheshire seemed more jumpy than lately. She turned and frowned in a motherly fashion.

"You should rest." She said quietly, "the less weakness you are able to show in front of the queen the better."

Connor didn't question her words but he did ask, "where will I sleep?"

Cheshire shrugged and motioned to the trunk of a tree. The idea of sleeping on that rough surface was not appealing but Connor sat and watched as Cheshire's nimble hands moved over a pile of wood, quickly turning that pile into a camp fire. The warmth caused Connor's mind to loudly report how tired he was. He could feel stress in every one of his muscles, slowly loosening. Quickly he was asleep.

Her gold cat eyes scanned over the sleeping human. _If I really did have a speck of humanity I'd end his life now._

Her clawed hand flexed as blood began pounding into it, the desires of her ancestors making themselves known to her. She bit down hard on her tongue until iron was all she tasted. The quick pain brought her back and she crouched on her heels, tending to the fire.

_Let us kill him._ Voices upon voices echoed in her head, all genders all ages. One small fact not known by many about cheshire cats, once they reach a predetermined age they stay that old until they die. Due to this, no cheshire has ever died of old age. In fact, most were beheaded once they began to lose control of themselves.

_I'm not so far off from that._ Cheshire thought glumly. She, so far, had lived more lifetimes than almost all of her ancestors combined. She was by far, the strongest of her kin. Yet, some argued she was simultaneously the weakest. As Duldee said, "Ches is too nice for her own good."

Cheshire stood, feeling the anxiety brought on from being in such a close proximity to the queen's rose garden. Many saw those roses and only saw the vibrant, beautiful red they were. Hardly any person ventured close enough to smell the iron, see the flecks of a dried brown substance, the way the roses gleamed like water. Hardly a person knew those roses were red with the blood of the queen's adversaries. _More like the queen's prey._

She glanced down at the human boy. He had actually impressed her, with the stoic stubbornness and determination he possessed. With the fact he had not run from her, even after she attempted to kill him.

Cheshire began to pace, anxiety forcing her body into movement.

"He really does look quite helpless, doesn't he Ches?" The cold voice sounded from behind her and without hesitation Cheshire turned and knelt.

The queen stood, several feet taller than Cheshire, staring down at the human boy with her wide gleaming smile. She made a hand motion and Cheshire immediately rose, looking down.

"I wonder what his blood would look like on my roses… they've been seeming a little too brown lately. Perhaps it is time to paint them yet again."

Cheshire suppressed a shudder.

The queen's hand twitched and her eyes focused on the boy's chest over his heart, then moved to the pulse on his neck.

Cheshire silently prayed the queen wouldn't just kill the boy in front of her. She didn't mind blood or torture, but what the queen did to her victims was more than torture. Ripping apart the body's rib cage than forcing the heart out to eat it before her victim's eyes. The veins were never broken until the queen decided, ensuring the victim remained alive as long as possible and then bled out. The queen prided herself in extracting all the pain possible from one person in the short time before death. There was a reason her staff didn't include a torturer, or well interrogator.

"My lady," Cheshire spoke softly so as not to wake the sleeping human, "do you wish me to end his life? Or will you do it?"

"Who said i was going to kill him?" The queen laughed, the sound like breaking glass, "Like I said, I can wait. I want to see his potential."

Cheshire silently nodded, thanking whatever force was in control that she would not have to witness another bloody excuse for a death.

Connor shifted in his sleep, leaning on his side against the rough bark of the tree. He looked uncomfortable so Cheshire figured he had to have been extremely tired to sleep there.

"It's so ugly it's adorable in a hairless animal sort of way." The queen commented, her smile gleaming while she spoke.

Cheshire suppressed a laugh. Adorable, she supposed, meant something different in her mind than in the queen's.

Connor stirred letting out a yawn. He heard a voice say something and then Cheshire said something in a hushed whisper he couldn't pick up. He opened his eyes and looks up to see Cheshire standing in front of him. One of her clawed hands was flexed and tense.

Connor gulped, slowly beginning to stand up. He had learned never to make sudden movements when near a predator. Cheshire's eyes gleamed slightly and she turned motioning for the human to follow her.

Leaving the forest showed a large clearing and in the distance a spiraling column of ice. Surrounding the ice for miles were hedges of roses.

"Stay close to me, do not wander off, do not touch anything. Am I clear?" Cheshire said.

"Yeah." Connor replied, mind reeling. Cheshire sounded anxious… scared even.

"Good." Cheshire began forward toward the hedged of roes and moved along the outskirts of them until she came upon a large opening barely big enough to fit her.

"Um, Cheshire?"

"Yes?"

"Why are the roses… wet?"

Cheshire stopped dead. She looked over her shoulder at the human and said quietly, "can you honestly tell me, after week in this place, you can not figure that out for yourself?"

"Stupid question. Right, sorry. Um, rephrase: what would happen if I touched one?"

"If you so much as grazed your finger on one of the thorns your body would go paralyzed in a matter of moments and your brain would melt. Tricky bit of magic that, I actually helped pull it off."

Connor's hands shot back to his pockets nervously.

With that the pair traveled in silence, moving through the thick maze of bloody roses with a speed Connor attributed to Cheshire's knowledge of the defenses surrounding the castle.

**Hey guys! This chapter is so overdue and I feel bad that it's so short -. Sorry about how long it's taking me to update things, School and life and etc. are insane for me. As always, thank you to my readers. Enjoy the story! ~HellanTroy**


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